39- Bobby's call

Hazel thought of Bobby’s call and her mother’s advice that she share that
information with Mr. Lee. “Actually, breakfast might be good. I’ll see you there.
Make it thirty minutes, though. I’m only half-awake, and I usually don’t do
mornings. It’ll take me a while to jump-start my brain.”
“I suppose saying that it’s not your brain that interests me would be a really
bad idea,” Mr. Lee teased.
Hazel laughed, her mood improving considerably. “A really, really bad one,”
she agreed. “See you soon.”
As it turned out, it took her closer to an hour to shower, dress and walk to
Stella’s. Admittedly, she was deliberately dragging her feet. Every time she
thought of Bobby’s call and his refusal to even admit where he was, she felt
more and more despondent. By the time she got to Stella’s, she was crankier than
ever. Finding that Mr. Lee had finished reading the paper and was drumming his
fingers on the table immediately put her on the defensive.
“I thought maybe you’d stood me up,” he said as she slid into the booth
opposite him.
“I told you I’d be here, didn’t I?” she snapped before she could stop herself.
His expression turned thoughtful. “There’s that tone again. Did something
happen this morning to get your day off to a rotten start?”
“You mean aside from your call?”
He winced but said gamely, “Yes, aside from that.”
Hazel waited until Stella had poured her a cup of coffee and taken their orders
before answering with the truth. “I heard from Bobby,” she admitted in a rush,
before she could change her mind. She didn’t feel one bit better once the words
were out.
Mr. Lee nodded slowly. “I see. And what did he have to say?”
“Not much. He wouldn’t say where he was. He wouldn’t answer any of my
questions. He just said everything was going to work out.”
“For whom?” Mr. Lee asked. “I don’t imagine he wastalking about the
peoplehe bilked out of their money.”
“No, I imagine not,” Hazel agreed ruefully. “Anyway, I thought you should
know, even though it doesn’t exactly give you any new information.”
“Thank you,” he said solemnly. “I know it wasn’t easy for you to tell me
about the call.”
She studied his face intently. “You don’t think I’m holding anything back, do
you?”
“Are you?”
“No, that’sthe whole story. The call didn’t last more than a minute.”
His expression turned thoughtful. “I wonder why. Does he suspect your
phone could be tapped?”
“I doubt it,” Hazel said. “Bobby never has been big on prolonged telephone
calls. Ironically, in his own way I think he just wanted to reassure me.”
“Were you reassured?” Mr. Lee asked.
“Hardly. I was furious. I want more than a patronizing pat on the head,” she
said, her fury stirring all over again. “I want answers. I want every penny of that
money returned. I want to put this mess behind me.”
For the first time since he’d tried to put her life under a microscope, Mr.
Lee regarded her with what appeared to be genuine sympathy. “I’m sorry,” he
saidquietly.
“Why are you sorry?”
“Because it must be hell having everything you’ve worked for put at risk
through no fault of your own.”
Startled, Hazel merely stared. “You finally believe I wasn’t involved?”
He nodded. “I do.”
“Then go back to New York,” she pleaded. “Concentrate on finding Bobby
and getting to the bottom of this. Do it for your clients and, unofficially at least,
do it for me. Not that I can afford to pay you. My cash, as you know, is
somewhat limited these days.”

Unfortunately, before the words were out of her mouth, he wasshaking his
head. “I can’t work for you. It would be a conflict of interest. And I can’t leave.
You’re still my best lead. If Bobby contacted you once, he’ll do it again. Next
time we’ll be ready.”
“Ready how? You’re not going to tap my parents’ phone, are you?”
“No, but a caller ID could help. Do they have one?”
“No, and my father will hate it. He doesn’t know what’s going on. I told my
mother this morning, but we agreed that he doesn’t need to know. It will only
upset him, and his blood pressure is already bad. I mean it, Mr. Lee. I don’t
want him involved in any way.”
“Ready how? You’re not going to tap my parents’ phone, are you?”
“No, but a caller ID could help. Do they have one?”
“No, and my father will hate it. He doesn’t know what’s going on. I told my
mother this morning, but we agreed that he doesn’t need to know. It will only upset him, and his blood pressure is already bad. I mean it, Mr. Lee. I don’t
want him involved in any way.”
“Then we’ll find another way,” he said, his expression thoughtful. “Maybe
we should both go back to New York.”
“No,” she said flatly. “I told you yesterday, I won’t leave while Karen’s
under so much pressure.”
“Then you make a suggestion.”
Hazel considered an idea she’d been toying with ever since Caleb’s funeral.
“Okay. Any ideas?”
“I could go to work for Tony,” she said with a surprising lack of enthusiasm.
She knew it would feel as if she was only marking time, but it was the best she
could do. “I’d tell everyone I’m just helping him out for a while. Maybe he’d
even take that trip to Italy he’s been promising Francesca.”
“That keeps you in town, but how doesit help with pinning down Bobby’s
whereabouts?”
“We could put the caller ID on the restaurant phone. Tony would agree. He
knows what’s going on, and he’d want to help nail Bobby.”
Mr. Lee shook his head. “That’s only a partial solution. Right now Bobby’s
contact number for you is at your parents’ house. He can just keep right on using
that. Unless…” His gaze met hers.
Hazel’s pulse skipped a beat at the heated look in his eyes. “Unless what?”
“Unless you moved in with me at the hotel,” he said slowly.
“Oh, no,” she said at once, despite the decided leap of her pulse. “That is a
really bad idea.”
He grinned. “I don’t know. I think it opens up some fascinating
possibilities.”
“You would.”
“Are you saying that you’re not even a tiny bit intrigued by what could
happen if the two of us were sharing close quarters?”
“I’m saying that your clients would be horrified to discover that you were
getting up close and personal with a suspect. Not five minutes ago you pointed
out that it would be a conflict just to unofficially help me out.”
“I could alwaystell them that I’m keeping you under surveillance.”
Hazel laughed at that. “Is that what you call it?”
“Okay, do you have a better idea?”
She considered the question. “I’ll get my own place,” she said eventually.
Mr. Lee seemed completely taken aback. “Your own place? That sounds
awfully permanent.”
Hazel shrugged. “Who knows? Given the situation in New York, coming
back here might be the smartest thing—the only thing—I can do.” Ever since her
conversation with Bobby, she felt as though she’d lost the will to fight.
“You’re conceding defeat on Café Tuscany?” Mr. Lee asked, studying her
witha shocked expression. “I don’t buy it.”
“I may not have any choice. Deidre’s keeping things going for now, but we
can’t keep playing this shell game with the creditorsforever. Maybe declaring
bankruptcy is the way to go.”